Toxicologist Julann Spromberg to discuss Coho salmon and urban stream health May 6

Julann Spromberg will discuss “Coho Salmon as Sentinels for Urban Stream Health” as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment speaker series at 3 p.m., Friday, May 6 at WWU’s Communications Facility Room 125.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Stormwater runoff is an important pollution threat to Puget Sound, and it originates almost everywhere people live and work. Many efforts are underway to reduce the impacts of polluted runoff on Puget Sound, including pollution reduction via toxic source control and low-impact development. Recent scientific findings are pointing to Coho salmon as a key sentinel species for understanding both the ecological impacts of stormwater as well as the effectiveness of toxin-reduction strategies. This presentation will explore the sensitivity of Coho to urban contaminants and stormwater and how they can mirror the success or failure of current strategies and forecast areas of concern.

Spromberg is a research toxicologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. Her work integrates toxicology with population biology and ecological factors to translate impacts across levels of biological organization. Spromberg received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Western's Huxley College of the Environment and a master’s degree in Toxicology from the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.

Anyone interested in these issues is encouraged to come and participate. The presentation will examine opportunities for addressing these issues and include a question and answer period.

The Huxley College of the Environment speaker series is held to bring together interested members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

For more information contact Patrick Buckley, WWU associate professor of Environmental Studies, (360) 650-4773 or patrick.buckley@wwu.edu.